Mushroom preparation - the poll!

[strung out]

What about you milesy? How do you prepare your mushrooms?

He isn't here Are you talking to yourself again?

 

[strung out]

Now that's a bit friggin freaky... Clicked on that picture, went "ooh, never seen one of them before", then turned round to see Huw Fernley Whittingstall staring at a foot wide one on the telly. Saying "Ooh, I've only ever seen three of these in my life." Which they're now going to cook.

Coinkidinks, eh? Love em.

I watched that as well, I thought " there is no way in hell I'm ever going near one of those " I think I would run away if I saw one of 'em

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yes.

 

[sheothebudworths]

of course.

Oh for goodness sake......

 

[strung out]

Yes.

Poor sheo

 

[beeboo]

Gawd, its pretty rare for me to ever do anything other than pay lip service to the idea of washing any vegetables (unless they are proper muck covered ones*).

I made a mushroom lasagne with a kilo of mushrooms t’other day, and there was no way I was individually wiping or peeling 100s of them – straight out the bag, quick attack with a knife, into the pot.

*which reminds me – really winds me up when supermarkets put pseudo-soil on potatoes to make them look they’re fresh from the ground

 

[boing!]

I usually just give then a quick rinse under the tap, but thinking about it, it is quite pointless really. Although wiping mushrooms seems even more time consuming to me.

 

[Ms T]

of course.

I've got one of those as well. My friend bought it for me because she couldn't believe I didn't have one!

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I was taught to peel them and have never been able to get out of the habit.

 

[perplexis]

I didn't even know you could peel mushrooms! What do you take off? They don't really have a skin as such, do they? And it sounds like it's the way people are taught to do it. I feel like I've missed out on some serious hygiene tips!

I wash (bad, I know) them if they're crap mushrooms (supermarket button or chestnut flavourless), but I'll make the effort to be gentle and wipe if I've got nice (i.e. interesting) ones

 

[tarannau]

I always used to wipe them, perfecting a way of constantly wetting and moving my thumb to take off the most obvious clods of growing shite. There was always the fear of having soggy, tasteless mushrooms if you washed them thoroughy.

Apparently though, according to one those Blumenthal-like food scientist dudes, mushrooms don't really suffer if you wash them. Apparently they don't really absorb as much as you'd fear, nor does the texture or flavour really suffer after cooking.

So I guess my thumb dexterity skills may have been a little wasted. So now I kind of give them a quick rinse and scrape and that suffices.

Peeling mushrooms sounds a but perverse and unnecessary though, as strange as insisting on washing mince before cooking.

 

[lang rabbie]

And I chop the bottom off every single one. Mushroom preparation is a serious business in our house.

Wouldn't it be simpler to buy fresher mushrooms

 

[lang rabbie]

I was taught to peel them and have never been able to get out of the habit.

I think it was a wartime thing when people were going mushroom-foraging for wild varieties with tougher skins, and has been passed down by anyone whose grandmother was a wartime housewife.

Commercially propagated varieties don't need to be peeled.

 

[gentlegreen]

I watched that as well, I thought " there is no way in hell I'm ever going near one of those " I think I would run away if I saw one of 'em

I noticed at least one living thing scurry away when he cut it up

 

[tarannau]

Wouldn't it be simpler to buy fresher mushrooms

Cutting the stalk off isn't just about freshness. The stalk's got the worst texture and least flavour of the mushroom, so the perfectionists in some kitchens insist on removing them.

TBH, I don't find them that bad. I'm happy to eat the whole mushroom.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I wipe, if anything.

I mostly just chop them and cook them.

Ditto

 

[strung out]

I noticed at least one living thing scurry away when he cut it up

*runs away*

 

[Stig]

I slice the very end of the stalk off, just a slither, and use all the rest as it is, or torn or chopped a bit, depending on size.

I saw that cauliflower mushroom too, thought it looked quite nice actually. (while I was being informed at no uncertain volume that it was "THAT vegetarian hating wanker" on the tv. ~"Shhush! I'm watching the lamb lungs turn into a lovely haggis!") It was only on while I was waiting for Life in the Undergrowth to come on anyway.

 

[boing!]

Of course if they look like this

http://www.hlasek.com/sparassis_crispa_a5670.html

then it's a good idea to wash them well, taste great by the way.

Theres some crazy looking mushrooms on that site
http://www.hlasek.com/hydnellum_peckii_ac0932.html